Posted!

Join the Conversation

Comments

Welcome to our new and improved comments, which are for subscribers only.
This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you.
You do not need a Facebook profile to participate.

You will need to register before adding a comment.
Typed comments will be lost if you are not logged in.

Please be polite.
It's OK to disagree with someone's ideas, but personal attacks, insults, threats, hate speech, advocating violence and other violations can result in a ban.
If you see comments in violation of our community guidelines, please report them.

NM bill expands Santa Teresa border crossing hours

Milan Simonich, The New Mexican
Published 3:51 p.m. MT Jan. 25, 2016

Buy Photo

A Santa Teresa sign posted at the intersection of Country Club Road and McNutt Road.(Photo: Robin Zielinski / Sun-News)Buy Photo

State Rep. Bill McCamley says international border trade is one of the few bright spots in New Mexico's economy, and he believes it would grow if the state spends another $350,000 this year to extend hours at the federally operated Santa Teresa Port of Entry.

The northbound border crossing from Mexico into Santa Teresa now closes at 8 p.m., a schedule that McCamley says is costing the state business and money. Companies can move their products through ports of entry in and near El Paso, Texas, that have longer hours than Santa Teresa does.

McCamley's bill would expand the Santa Teresa Port of Entry's weekday hours from 8 a.m. until midnight for one year.

An increase in trade at the port could mean a jump in employment and tax revenues for New Mexico, McCamley said Monday after presenting his bill to the House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee. His measure breezed through the committee in a bipartisan 9-0 vote. Its next test will be in the House Appropriations and Finance Committee, which has received the legislative budget proposal that recommends $200,000 for McCamley's bill.

Southbound commercial traffic through the Santa Teresa port into Mexico already has been extended from 8 a.m. to midnight, thanks to private funding from Dell Inc. The corporation is subsidizing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for the extra cost of staffing the port in a one-year pilot project.

McCamley, D-Mesilla Park, said New Mexico might be able to land corporate and federal dollars for extended hours for northbound commerce.

"Once we show we have skin the game, we can get attract more funding," he said.

The Santa Teresa border crossing is not in McCamley's legislative district, but he said he crafted the bill because the change would profit all of New Mexico. Businesses in Santa Fe, Farmington and other cities hours away from the nation's southern border ship products to Mexico.

"Our economy needs to do better overall," McCamley said. "I'm tired of being last in all these economic rankings and seeing our people leaving for Dallas or Denver or Phoenix to find jobs."

Dell Inc. led the way in extending hours for southbound commercial traffic at Santa Teresa, reaching an agreement with Homeland Security last summer.

An analysis by New Mexico's legislative staff said it could not pinpoint Dell's costs, but it estimates that New Mexico's expenses for the one-year extension of hours would be much larger than Dell's. The Department of Homeland Security "would likely charge closer to $1 million due to significantly greater staffing needs at the port for northbound traffic versus southbound traffic," the legislative staff said.

McCamley said his hope is that the Legislature will allocate the $350,000 to jump-start the project, and that its commitment would bring more contributions from the private or government sectors to keep the Santa Teresa Port open until midnight.